Why Do People Put Egg Shells in Brewing Coffee?

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This is actually a practice that is not common today but it was common in the United States during the depression era and before that. Cookbooks in the 1930s included them as an ingredient in coffee recipes. It's interesting that this practice has mostly disappeared.

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So what exactly is the reasoning behind that? The answer is simple...to get a smoother tasting cup of coffee and it works. First, we'll look at why putting shells in brewing coffee works and then we'll see how to do it.

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Coffee contains acids. These acids in coffee have varying degrees of taste to them. Some coffee can be so acidic it tastes bitter. In addition, some of the acids in coffee cause an undesirable reaction in sensitive people. There is nothing worse than heartburn after drinking your morning cup of coffee.

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Egg shells contain calcium. The calcium carbonate in the shells neutralizes some of the acids that are present in the coffee. However, in order for this to work well, they must be in small pieces and added to the coffee grounds. Large pieces of shells won't work as well.

As mentioned earlier, in order for the shells to de-acidify the coffee, they need to be in broken small pieces. The best way to do this is after you break the egg for cooking purposes, rinse the shells and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. After baking, break up the shells into little pieces and add a heaping teaspoon to your coffee grounds. Some people like to actually grind the shells in a food processor or coffee grinder.

You can store the ground egg shells in a plastic bag or airtight plastic container and use them as necessary.

A word of caution: don't use egg shells without either washing them in hot water or baking them first. Raw egg left on the shell can contaminate your coffee and make you sick. Baking the egg shells removes this danger. Also, don't do this if you have egg allergies, for obvious reasons.

You know now why people put egg shells in brewing coffee. At one time, this was a tried and true method of making a great cup of coffee, but that was before coffee makers became so fancy.

Why Do People Put Egg Shells in Brewing Coffee?

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